New Year

I'm sitting here tonight in my big green chair next to the fireplace making plans for the new year. We're somewhere around halfway through first grade...whatever that means...and there are some new things we're getting ready to start. Mane's grandparents very graciously gave us the activity guide that accompanies Story of the World for Christmas, and, so, we're going to slowly begin walking our way through history...chronologically. Until now we've hit on a variety of historical facts and persons - presidents, the first airplanes, Laura Ingalls Wilder, 4th of July, various saints (Valentine & Patrick, for example), the pilgrims & the Mayflower, Jamestown, slavery & the civil war. Now we're getting ready to begin at the beginning. We'll still be rowing books and talking through the historical events surrounding the books. Story of the World will just be a new addition to the weekly studies.

Alongside those things, we're planning to spend more time in Bible stories, Spanish, and poetry. Fridays have been deemed "hot chocolate day" at our house. I think we'll begin reading poetry, doing some artwork, and listening to classical music along with our hot chocolate! I'm excited for that. Yum. Nourish the body, nourish the soul.

Today I also procured tickets to a Sweet Honey in the Rock concert for us! Someone from ECHO organized a "field trip" to the concert for Minneapolis homeschoolers. We've been listening to Sweet Honey in the Rock since Mane was little, and she's also seen a DVD of one of their performances. They are incredible performers, and they encourage lots of audience participation in their concerts. The concert isn't until March. So, we'll be listening to lots of their music and preparing to go later on this winter. Come to think of it, we'll be right in the middle of following the Iditarod just then. What a crazy juxtaposition of studies we'll be having. Yikes. It's a wild ride.

Also, later this month we'll be going to the MN Orchestra concert "The Bernstein Beat." We have enjoyed MN Orchestra concerts so thoroughly that we tell everyone about them now. So, please, if you're interested, go check out: Young People's Concerts with the MN Orchestra. There are still shows with tickets available. You don't need a group to go. Homeschoolers are totally welcome!

Finally, we'll be preparing Mane this month to spend a week with her grandparents in February, as we'll be traveling to Mexico with Vespera for him immigration interview at the consulate. Yes, I consider this part of her education. We'll be talking lots about grandparents & what special people they are, how many days we'll be gone and how to read the calendar, and how we can pass the time apart from each other.